Bermuda was left reeling last night after machete-wielding youths brought havoc to Wellington Oval, leaving one man in critical condition in hospital and the sports community in shock.

Up to 40 youths brazenly battled with machetes, knives, sticks and concrete blocks to bring a premature halt to the unfortunately-named Friendship Trophy final between Somerset Eagles and North Village.

A team of 50 Police officers was hastily put together to deal with one of the worst outbreaks of gang violence in years, with three men already arrested and Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith anticipating more.

Two other men were being treated at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital last night following the attacks that saw at least one youth lying prone on the field after an assault with a piece of wood.

Members of the Police Support Unit set up a temporary roadblock on the Causeway shortly after the 3 p.m. violence and searched people and vehicles leaving the East End.

The violence was roundly condemned by Police, Ministers and the Bermuda Football Association yesterday.

“This is a serious occasion,” said Public Affairs Minister Randy Horton at a Cabinet Office press conference last night.

“I'd like to emphasise that certainly in all the years that I have lived in Bermuda, and the 50 years in which I have been involved in sport, I have never witnessed the kind of violence that we witnessed at Wellington Oval.

“I'm very concerned that people will have seen a bunch of youths attack each other with knives and machetes being used. It was just total disorder.

“It is obvious that those rogues came to the game with intent to disrupt.

“There were children who were left traumatised because of what they saw.”

And Mr. Horton issued a defiant message to those that once again used a soccer match to cause trouble that they would not get away with public acts of brutality.

“We want the people of Bermuda to know that the Police, the BFA and Government will work hand in hand to ensure that those who committed these crimes will be brought to justice,” added Mr. Horton, a former star professional footballer himself who was watching the game on his afternoon off.

“Do you want Bermuda to remain this way?

“If not, we ask people to speak up and come forward to give Police the evidence and assist the Police with apprehending the criminal element that we saw at Wellington Oval.

“I would like to call them something else, but I'm Ministerial so I can't do that.”

Referee Lyndon Raynor, himself a Police officer, abandoned the match after 19 minutes when violence spilled from the terraces on to the pitch with players moving into the centre circle and watching bewildered as the ugly scenes unfolded.

Det. Chief Insp. Stuart Crockwell, also a soccer referee, is in charge of the investigation, with a team of 50 officers, many of them called up from their days off or pulled from other duties, working on the incident.

“My understanding is that there was a faction between two groups from town and up the country and several people were injured,” Chief Insp. Crockwell said.

“We have three in hospital that are being treated for various injuries thought to have been inflicted by a sharp instrument, i.e. a knife or a machete.

“The serious crime unit along with the Police Support Unit and other support units are currently investigating the incident and we appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call 299-4347 or CrimeStoppers.

“The road blocks are a mandatory Police process. We have information that several vehicles carrying passengers that may have cut people up and had left the field.

“The Police put road blocks up to see if they could find these vehicles and seize the weapons. Our main concern is to take the weapons off the streets.

“Three men have been apprehended with regards to this incident and also two others apprehended in the road block for an unrelated matter.

“It's a very, very sad day for football. I guess it really hammers home the message of how far do we want football to go in Bermuda? Do we want to eliminate it or do we want to go where we continue to perform at just the domestic level or do we want to compete solely at the international level?

“The domestic level is in trouble and it is all because of these faction groups who think they can bring their ignorance down to the football games and cause a disturbance.”

Mr. Smith backed the public appeal for information.

“We have received some level of cooperation from the public already,” Mr. Smith told the Press conference last night. “But I would urge anyone with any information, particularly anyone who witnessed the incident, to come forward.

“Do we want our football games to turn into venues for youths to vent their anger? The answer is obviously no.”

Sports Minister Dale Butler, told about the incident by The Royal Gazette, said: “This is absolutely shocking given the fact that there have been no attacks in the last couple of months. The Police have been working diligently to try and get on top of various areas of the country.

“This is absolutely appalling. My concern goes out to the families of the persons injured.”

He noted it was the last thing the Island and the BFA needed in view of the current World Cup campaign.

“This was a terrifying day for the family of football,” said a visibly upset BFA president Larry Mussenden. “Men, women and children were forced to witness an army of thugs battling with each other.

“The game of football in Bermuda is being tormented by this senseless, useless and criminal activity.

“The football family could not prevent this criminal activity. This was the Friendship Cup, but these people were not our friends. They were enemies of friendship, they were enemies of the community and they were enemies of the people of Bermuda.”

Premier Alex Scott, who also attended the Press conference, added that Police and Government had been working hard to clamp down on violence at soccer matches and yesterday's incident had come at a time when it looked like the problem had been waning.

“This incident has come at a time when we had noted that there was a diminishing of these events,” said Mr. Scott.

“Bermudians have every right to feel and expect that they can go to these events and do so safely. Lawlessness will not be tolerated in Bermuda.”